It is a truth universally acknowledged that every single dream is determined to help the dreamer discover the transformative power of the greatest and most powerful love of all – self-love.
And because your waking life and dream life are interconnected – both reflect and comment on each other – your dreaming mind seizes on the theme of romance that is in the air every Valentine’s season to shine an even brighter nightlight on your relationships. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself having dreams about steamy affairs, reuniting with an ex, discovering your partner is cheating on you, kissing and falling in love with a stranger and so on. Keep reading for more on what these dreams really mean for you.
Photo by SHVETS Production / PEXELS
You may wake up wondering why on earth you had this sensual dream that felt so real when you were in it. What does it mean?
First of all, relax. You are not alone. Dreams themed around symbols of love and sex are exceedingly common. We all have them, a lot of the time. The reason being is that human beings are curious. In the dream state we can safely explore intimate relationships without hurting anyone. So, thank your dreaming mind – your inner nocturnal therapist – for offering you this virtual relationship training playground!
The next step is to understand the meaning of your love dreams. They often appear incomprehensible, but dig deep enough, and the symbols you find will always comment on your feelings and thoughts in your waking life, because what you feel and what you think tends to be what you attract.
With relationship themed dreams, your night vision will be commenting on your attitude towards relationships and what urgently needs to shift within you for you to attract lasting love.
What do you dream about...?
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto / PEXELS
Below are some very common love dream scenarios. Be aware that every dream is personal to the dreamer, and these examples are simply universal, or the most likely interpretations that may not be relevant to your unique situation. However, these interpretations can help you think along the right lines, so the next time you wake up from a passionate dream affair, you have a head start in understanding.
Having An Affair With Someone You Know
Photo by Alex Green / PEXELS
In this dream you are having an affair with someone you know. This person may or may not be someone you fancy. Either way, they are appearing in your dreams for a reason and that reason isn’t necessarily romantic.
Think about the first word or feeling that comes to mind when you reflect on that person. This first word or feeling association you make will help you understand what quality your dreaming mind wants you to face within yourself. Maybe it's something you need to integrate within your own personality?
You see, dream affairs reflect the aspects of yourself that you need to feel more passionate about. Yes, in your dreams you really are having an affair with yourself. Other people in your dreams symbolize aspects of your own personality.
More often than not, the feeling this dream inspires is simply one of excitement or adventure, and if this is the case, your dreaming mind wants you to bring that sense of adventure into your own life (but not by having an affair.) Vary your routine a bit! Laugh more! Do something different! Book a holiday! Don’t look to others to bring a sense of magic your way. Spice up your own life.
Having An Affair With A Stranger
Photo by Pixabay / PEXELS
If you dream of falling in love or having an affair with a stranger – someone you have never met – your dreaming mind wants you to feel more alive. You need to step outside your comfort zone now and then. This is not necessarily about relationships and seeking out different perspectives, but about challenging yourself in other areas of your life. For example, challenge yourself in your career, hobbies, and interests.
Bear in mind that making love to a dream stranger can also suggest that you fear really getting to know the people close to you, or that you feel you can’t be true to yourself with others. If that’s the case, work on your self-belief and consider what you may be ‘cheating’ yourself or others of when it comes to your relationships. Dreams about unreciprocated love or being ignored by a crush have a similar interpretation.
Your Partner Is Cheating
Photo by DS Stories / PEXELS
You may be in a loving relationship and have a dream about yourself or your partner cheating. If this is the case, don’t panic!
This dream simply suggests that either of you may be feeling overlooked. Have you or your partner been spending a lot of time focusing on work, a pet, or another outside interest? Seize this Valentine’s Day holiday to book some quality time together, and rekindle the passion.
Having An Affair With A Celebrity
Photo by Mateus Souza / PEXELS
Celebrities dominate the media these days, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself dreaming of having an affair with a celebrity, and an unlikely one too. Think about what association comes to mind when you think about that celebrity. It is that association which carries the hidden meaning.
For example, if you dream of a reality TV star, do you simply want to be noticed more? There is a quality that celebrity has that you need to integrate into your own personality for personal growth.
Your Ex
Photo by Monstera / PEXELS
This dream could be about an ex that you have absolutely no desire to rekindle things with, or an ex where there is still unfinished business.
If an ex reappears in your dreams, it is not a sign that you want to go back to them, it is a sign though that your ex has become a symbol of something important for your current personal growth and relationship happiness.
Have you found closure from that relationship? Do you need to make sure that you don’t repeat patterns from the past in your current relationships? Do you need to reflect on your own attitude when you were with your ex, and whether there is something you still need to learn there? Or, does your ex symbolize an aspect of yourself you need to let go of now?
In all cases, the clear message is that you need to empower the relationship with yourself.
Someone Falling In Love With You
Photo by Anna Shvets / PEXELS
When you wake up from this dream in which someone falls in love with you, consider how this surreal affection from someone else made you feel. If it made you feel good, then seek out more of that emotion from people in your waking life. If it made you feel insecure about the dream affection, then consider, why you don’t feel worthy of love and attention.
Are your current relationships dragging you down? Are you longing for a deep connection with others but failing to understand that relationships risk becoming toxic or co-dependent, especially if you don’t feel deeply in love and connected to yourself first?
Remember that relationship truth universally acknowledges that you can’t give to others what you can’t give to yourself. Your wise dreaming mind has always known that. Valentine’s Day is the ideal time for you to discover your self-love.
What These Dreams Mean For You
Photo by Leah Kelley / PEXELS
In essence, romantic dreams are mysterious, and can mean many different things, but the rule of thumb is that your dreams are typically symbolic and not literal. They are also very current.
If you truly want to decode their meaning, take a moment every morning when you wake up to ponder their meanings, reflect deeply, and look within.
All the answers, all the love, and all the magic you may be seeking from others is already right there within you, just waiting for you to celebrate it, not just on Valentine’s Day but every day!
Theresa Cheung is a best-selling author and dream decoding expert who has been researching and writing about spirituality, astrology, dreams, and the paranormal for the past twenty-five years. Theresa has over 40 published books and cards on topics of the science of cognition to intuition.
